Liberty Forward Carson Undergoes Surgery

NEW YORK, NY - New York Liberty Head Coach and General Manager Bill Laimbeer announced today that forward Essence Carson underwent surgery to repair the torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The procedure was performed earlier today by Liberty orthopedist Dr. Jo Hannafin at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Carson will miss the remainder of the season.

Carson suffered the injury to her left knee during the second quarter of the Liberty\'s game at Atlanta on Friday, June 7. She was the team\'s leading scorer, averaging 17.7 points through the first three contests.

Carson played in all 34 games in 2012, making 23 starts. She was third on the team in scoring with a career-best 11.6 points per game and also averaged career highs in rebounds (3.4) and assists (1.7).

In her sixth year in the league, Carson appeared in 172 career games averaging 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. A seventh overall pick of the Liberty in 2008, she earned her first career WNBA All-Star nomination in 2011. Carson made four playoff appearances, including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008 and 2010. In 16 playoff games, Carson averaged 8.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. She currently ranks seventh in Liberty history with 1,501 career points.